Information on Loughborough

Resurfacing Leicestershire Roads

Posted on 25/04/2008
P. Klein

road traffic cones

Nearly 200 miles of the County’s roads are set to be resurfaced this summer, as part of Leicestershire County Council’s £2 million road maintenance campaign.

Surface dressing waterproofs roads and gives them a skid-resistant surface, which makes them safer to drive on and extends the life of the carriageway surface by up to 10 years.

Nicholas Rushton, Cabinet member for highways, said: “Surface dressing is the most cost-effective way of keeping our roads in good condition and the cost is around 80 per cent less than that of other surfacing techniques.”

Surface dressing is an annual scheme, beginning in April and lasting until September. It is carried out through the spring and summer because bitumen and loose chippings bond to the road more effectively in the warmer weather.

After dressing, roads are machine swept at least three times within 28 days, to remove loose chippings. Those recovered by sweeping are recycled, and this year about 5,000 tonnes of the chippings being laid are recycled - more than 20 per cent of the total.

20mph signs will be displayed where work is being carried out, to warn motorists about the chippings. Drivers are urged to keep to the speed limit to prevent damage to their cars or to the road surface.

Most damage to roads, such as wear, is attributable to lorries rather than cars. Some figures estimate that some lorries create as much wear as 10,000 cars.